Andrew 4

See it if to discover a rising playwright, see a clever take on African folk tale, how great beauty/parental protection impacts a whole community

Don't see it if you have trouble understanding African-inflected English, with slow-starting plots, African-infused music, interruptions for dances

Also The production is lovely to look at and once the main plot kicks in, it becomes very engrossing. The cast is uniformly excellent, with frequent costume changes to create various ensembles, the early plot is a bit hard to follow, but the evening is ultimately rewarding as it explores the dynamic of parents (particularly African-American parents) trying to raise children in a protective environment which results in other complications from the outside community and the child's own naivety and longing.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy new work, time-jumping plots, family secrets, military experiences, gay coming of age tales, mother-son relationships,

Don't see it if expect full-scale production values, uncomfortable with gay story lines, non-linear plotting, frustrating military stories, naive hero

See it if you enjoy Irish plays & O'Casey, like linear plots filled with well-developed characters & action, interested in Irish war of independence

Don't see it if you have trouble understanding Irish dialect, bothered by suspense and impending gun fire & explosions, not into Irish & IRA history

See it if You like new plays with an environmental conscience, dilemmas with no easy solution, impact of physical attraction on ethical matters

Don't see it if You’re not a fan of environmental consciousness & messages, feel 80 minutes is too short for a play, disturbed by depictions of explosives

See it if you're interested in the abortion debate, curious about a historic figure in the birth control/abortion movement in NYC, strong female lead

Don't see it if you're not interested in a play about a proficient abortionist in late 19th century or biographical works that are repetitive or strident

See it if you're curious about South African adaptation & its relevance to apartheid history, enjoy raw depictions of violence & manipulation

Don't see it if you only accept the Strindberg original, have trouble with broad accents, dislike depictions of sex & violence on stage

See it if you like Sam Shepard, Hawke or Dano, enjoy plays about distant brothers reuniting, sibling rivalry & character transformation

Don't see it if you're not a fan of Shepard's work, don't like slightly over the top plots, have brother issues, can't endure lengthy, slow first acts

See it if you like family sagas, curious about Iraqi Christian immigrants, plight of women in Iraqi culture, forgiveness & blame, writer as lead actor

Don't see it if not interested in Iraqi culture & how it follows immigrants to this country, or in woman's struggles or in dialogue that must be listened to

See it if you're into immersive theater, concerned about the refugee & immigration crisis globally, see the creation of an onstage community

Don't see it if you don't like sitting on benches or platforms in the midst of action, sprawling stories with overlapping dialogue, loud noises & voices

Also One of the most interesting and ultimately thrilling experiences I have ever had in the theater, thanks to this great company. I enjoyed being immersed in the multi-culturalism of the Calais refugee camp, which came to be called the Jungle, and the whirring activity of the residents and those who showed up to offer their help, It was great to be in the midst of all the action, and after about 10 minutes was able to easily understand the dialogue and differentiate the characters. Some of the acting is superb, all of it is memorable. It's a fairly straightforward arc, but also has a documentary feel to it, rather than showcasing a few characters who progress through a story of major change.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of Lee's novel or the film, enjoy trial stories, fan of great acting, esp. by Daniels, Keenan-Bolger & Jackson,

Don't see it if you're not happy with idea of Lee's novel adapted by Sorkin, don't like plays that jump around in chronology, don't believe in racism

Also Quite an impressive adaptation that brings you fairly quickly into the drama of the trial then fills you in gradually as the play progresses> I liked how the three young people were used a narrators, the racism comes across as still relevant to today, Atticus portrayed as a quiet realist dedicated to justice but not as a loud crusader, father's love for children is obvious throughout--though the children's independence from living without a mother and having a busy, often pre-occupied father is also evident, Sher's staging does allow for suspense even if you are familiar with the book, set is relatively simple, yet just suggestive enough... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of Michael C. Hall & Will Eno, you like being challenged & get the humor in "Zippy," you're amused by life's contradictions

Don't see it if you don't like 1-person shows or plays without plots, wandering monologues that seem to go nowhere, quirky humor, nebulous character studies

See it if enjoy musical "comedy" with a touch of farce, stories with LGBT characters and issues, clever lyrics & creative numbers, exquisite acting

Don't see it if don't like plots with several LGBT characters & gay humor, same-sex kissing, prom memories, overripe performances, fish out of water plots

Also Also, you should not see it if you don't like people from Indiana to be satirized or worse, especially if you are from Indiana.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of Brecht or Esparza who is great, enjoy social satires connecting America of today to fascism, pared down casts,

Don't see it if you're not a Brechtian, don't like heavy-handed symbols, find it hard to discern an actor switching characters, bright lights or loud noises

See it if you follow playwright Gunderson, like 1-person shows & are patient with ridiculous melodrama on a current topic, are ok with lying narrator

Don't see it if don't like 1-person shows & little action, perverse foreshadowing, hate lying characters in service to a social causes, strained situations

Also Exasperating evening, nothing turns out to be true, meant to hit the audience between the eyes but does nothing of the sort, bad way to communicate a legitimate societal issue, conveys hopelessness... Read more Read less

See it if interested in work by Indian-American writers & actors, like family sagas about tradition vs. new culture, relevant yet heartwarming tale

Don't see it if Don't care about Indian-Americans culture & assimilation, don't like large family sagas, don't want reminders of tragic current events

See it if you're a fan of Stoppard, enjoy heady plays with themes & secrets, good ensemble acting, questions of sex & relationship, funny as well

Don't see it if You don't like Stoppard's use of big words & concepts which can hide the basic plot, talk about the mind vs machine, coincidences

See it if interested in the 2 Koreas, like love stories between troubled folks, internet and app-based stories, chorus to add/break tension

Don't see it if don't like a chorus that prolongs the narrative for no purpose or care for either North or South Korea, dishonest or fearful protagonists

See it if for the darker elements inherent in the show & the level of sexual tension, small cast & score set with country twang, closeness to action

Don't see it if you want traditional version with full orch. and chorus, don't like "immersive" sets or plot changes, or the ballet as modern dance

See it if you can accept play's style & quirkiness to get at underlying meaning, enjoy funny family dynamics, appreciate irony & fable-like structure

Don't see it if you're turned off by slightly odd style to get at truths, unwilling to play by play's rules, don't like sense of dread played out in comedy

See it if you like 1-person shows about father-son relationships, learning from Shakespeare, Asian culture, dynamo acting and splendid stage effects

Don't see it if don't like 1-person shows, some multi-lingual dialogue, not a fan of Shakespeare in particular Julius Caesar, don't like paying attention

See it if you enjoy 2-person musicals, stories about gay couples in pre-Stonewall era, songs in Great American Songbook style, delicious twist endings

Don't see it if don't like 2-actor musicals despite a live band, don't like plots about gay life in NYC in 60's & 70's or unreliable narrators, hate twist

See it if to catch the great Elaine May in a rare stage gig, for fans of Lonergan & the cast, inc. director Cromer, for a funny, if tragic, story

Don't see it if don't like plays about Alzheimer's disease, don't like light dramadys, expect to see Cera in starring role, don't like revivals

Also May is absolutely marvelous, as she depicts her character's ongoing degradation due to the disease, Allen yells a bit too much keeping her role to one key, Hedges depicts his character's loss of words and inability to deal with his grandmother, while Cera creates a quirky artist who frequently can't see the world in front of this face, but may be providing the woman with most of her support. Cromer's staging is well done, especially in how he covers the set changes in order to offer realistic-style settings for each of the scenes.But it wasn't quite the tear-jerker for me--I found it disturbing in the sense that you could understand the horror of going through the disease and imaging how those around you would react.... Read more Read less

See it if you're an opera fan, esp. Wagner, curious re: history of Bayreuth & King Ludwig's role, & the Wagner's anti-semitism & Cosima's influence

Don't see it if you're not an opera fan or of Wagner specifically, have trouble with anti-Semites as main characters, don't like surreal situations

Also The production is ultimately quite rewarding even if Wagner himself is not your cup of tea, you can learn about Nietzche's role in Cosima's life and how King Ludwig may have been assassinated, and about the Wagner's son and daughter in law, also named Cosima... Read more Read less

See it if you like Edna St. Vincent Millay's poetry set to a symphonic style score, learn about her early life & a great perf from Hannah Corneau

Don't see it if don't like somewhat esoteric, ethereal productions, expect songs to push the production forward rather than for atmosphere or commentary

Also A fantastic mixture of music, poetry and dance featuring an energetic and talented company, I'm sure this production will divide audiences but if you let yourself go and just ease into the production, it can be extremely rewarding. Vincent's life gets somewhat short shrift toward the end, when you realize during the last 20 unexpected minutes that Renascence is really about the writing of poetry and a specific poem in particular, the seismic impact of the title poem. The actors play multiple parts and one male actor in particular portrays only female characters. It is clever, charming, interesting and doesn't insult anyone's intelligence.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of the Harry Potter books, you like epic theatre lasting a whole day, inventive stagecraft, special effects & a touching story

Don't see it if your're not a Potter fan or never read the books, two part events don't interest you, dislike special effects, or think this is a kid's play

Also Stunning theatricality, the English cast is absolutely marvelous, the story of friendship at its core is quite touching and relatable. Though it becomes a tad repetitive toward the end, the entire production... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy Cumming & the exquisite Woodard, on-stage swimming pools, gay vs. Bible, love vs. career & mother/son issues, nudity

Don't see it if uncomfortable with full-frontal nudity, mother/son arguments on the Bible, love, art and older/younger coupling, adult thumb-sucking

Also The playwright does address some interesting issues, including questions regarding who is exactly using who in a relationship, what someone will do to advance one's career, the notion of artistic superiority, the clash between art & sex with the Bible, some-town religious values vs. urban sophistication, but the writer veers into overstatement as the puppets get menacingly larger and the protagonist's behavior gets more and more bizarre and infantile and then takes a turn that is not completely justified by the action we've seen but would be thoroughly be within the realm of possibility if some of those last odd scenes were not included... Read more Read less

See it if you like new musicals, enjoy mother-son & mentor-protege stories, accept supernatural explanations, fan of Baldwin & Pinkham, see new talent

Don't see it if don't like injection of supernatural into naturalistic stories, sappy happy endings, poor resolution of key plot strings, meh CGI

Also There are some strong voices here, not only Kate Baldwin and Bryce Pinkham, but young Kyle McCarthy as well. Plot is minimal but profound, but doesn't resolve completely satisfactorily especially in fate of title character, focus on the mother-son grief relationship is rewarding but hardly cosmic Kitt has written some fine music elevated by a great case, Jason Moore and/or choreographer Lorin Latarro have created some interesting scenes (although one resembles "Spiderman" choreography, with red hoodies standing in for Spidey suites... Read more Read less

See it if You loved Van Halen & are curious about the group’s history & various comebacks, How bands break up &!whatever happened to David Lee Roth?

Don't see it if You don’t like cross gender casting, not a fan of rock history or music, don’t care about Van Halen or Roth, don’t like absurd comedy

Also One of the more enjoyable theatrical experiences I have had in quite a while. The cast is terrific, including the women playing the Van Halen brothers and Roth, and the guy who plays Valerie Bertinelli, Giddy, loopy, ultimately regretful tale accompanied by snippets of Van Halen’s catalogue... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy family sagas, here about a Japanese-American one, love stories between interracial parents & the children opening up to them

Don't see it if you don't like family stories dealing with disease & non-communication issues, coming home again after 20 years stories, strong women story

See it if you enjoy coming of age stories, problems gay guys encounter in a black private school, great a capella choir routines, resilient heroes

Don't see it if you're not a fan of gay stories set in high school milieu or into male choir singing, somewhat predictable plot line, bullying plot lines

See it if you're interested in forgotten history, slavery & medical experimentation with human subjects, fan of EST's science commissions,

Don't see it if you're not a fan of historical plays, upset by depictions of pain, blood & slavery, easily confused by multiple locations in a single scenes

See it if you're curious about the title, to discover the work of a composer-lyricist-librettist, enjoy nonsense plots & overwrought characterizations

Don't see it if you like musicals with peppy numbers, memorable music & mature lyrics, don't like foul language & broad depictions of Satan & Charles Manson

See it if you're a fan of Ireland, enjoy addiction stories about clients & caregivers, appreciate slow revealing of reasons for characters' behavior

Don't see it if don't like or can't relate to addiction stories, can't tolerate difficult behavior not being overtly explained or misbehavior by clergy

See it if you're a fan of Nottage, enjoy social satire, enjoy seeing the great fall and then learn to redeem themselves, original unpredictable story

Don't see it if not fond of actors playing multiple roles or story focused on powerful black woman's success & fall, don't like addiction subplots or satire

See it if you like Irish plays, follow this playwright, enjoy gripping, rambunctious family tales, like romance, suspense and realistic stories

Don't see it if you're not fond of Irish plays, plays with many, many characters & atmosphere, having to pay attention, don't want to recall "the troubles"

Also This is a genuinely moving play that pulls you into a realistic environment that commands your attention. Despite the many actors on stage, you can easily keep track of each character, including the children, who all create quite specific portraits. Plus there's a real live baby on stage, along with a goose, dog, etc. One of the most rewarding theatrical experiences of my year.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a Stockard Channing fan or interested in new plays, enjoy complex family relationships, original linear plot, well-directed

Don't see it if don't like family dramas, esp. one set in England, have absent mother issues, plots that take their time getting started

Also Hugh Dancy is also quite impressive in two roles

See it if you like relevant works that explore racism, class-ism, misogyny, the pains of adolescence,multi-culturalism, women's issues, 1-act

Don't see it if don't like stories told from a woman's perspective, or trigger issues depicted on stage, or the claustrophobia of Roundabout Underground

See it if you like satire, esp. about well-meaning but clueless, privileged white folk, want to support a Native American playwright, like 1-acts

Don't see it if you tire of one-joke concepts that get stretched too far or didn't like long sketches on Carol Burnett, shows with no plot or resolution

See it if you like chamber musicals with clever plot & structure & 2 amiable leads, musicians doubling as ensemble, stories about "schlubs" succeeding

Don't see it if small musicals are not your thing, you get confused when band members play many roles, can't relate to a loser who does the right thing

Also Be careful not to sit on the side sections close to the band (its on either side of the semi-thrust stage). The loudness of the band obscures some lyrics and the sight lines from at least the first three rows on the side are deadly. But the show is worth it nonetheless, and the two writer/creators/lead performers (both playing Josh Cohen now and a year ago) are grand.... Read more Read less

See it if fan of writer Lloyd Suh, want to encourage Asian-American writers & performers, learn about history of Asian folk in sideshows, clever set

Don't see it if don't like idea of people put into sideshows, time jumping plots, 2-character plays with one gone for most of play,

See it if you LOVE Cher & curious about her background, want to relive her great songs, Stephanie Block & Jared Spector great acting.glitz & gloss

Don't see it if not a Cher fan or don't know of her, hate bio-juke box musicals, over-the-top costumes, flimsy, superficial book, no revelations, TV dances

See it if fan of Beckett, to hear it in Beckett's Irish, encounter a new staging, feel the frustration & boredom of the characters, confront darkness

Don't see it if not a Beckett fan, expect a plot & conventional characters, want action more than talk, want realistic setting, no patience for the unusual

See it if enjoy coming-of-age tales about children of immigrants dealing with belonging, first loves & first griefs & finding one's identity

Don't see it if Don't like coming of age stories, stories about immigrant families from Africa, don't like bright flashing lights, non-linear tales

See it if you're a fan of Falco, interested in politics (esp. Albany), the limited roles for women in politics mid-40's-60's, true stories

Don't see it if not a fan of political plays, even if true, frustrated by the rules women had to play by if they wanted political influence in the past

See it if you're fan of McTeer, curious about Bernhardt & Rostand, learn about creation of Cyrano, as well as Sarah being first woman to play Hamlet

Don't see it if Don't like backstage plays or scenes from classics performed in the midst of the play, not a fan of McTeer, expect to see a strict biography

See it if want to see a rare Williams play, fan of some of the cast, enjoy all-women cast in story about female friendship, interesting acting choices

Don't see it if you're not a fan of Williams--esp. a play not received positively, have difficulty keeping your attention focused, don't like sad plots

See it if if you like musicals, shows about people connecting in the Big City & a look at marital relations, four great young performers & optimism

Don't see it if Don't like musicals about the difficulty of marriage in NYC, simplistic cliched plots, friendships between gay men/straight women & optimism

Also The music and lyrics by Adam Gwon are pleasant and occasionally spell-binding & show a lot of promise for the composer-writer... Read more Read less

See it if you've seen the earlier play in the Love trilogy, interested in the Civil Rights era & role of women at the time & in the black community

Don't see it if don't like one act-2 handers or domestic dramas, or plays about the empowerment of women & the civil rights movement--don't want to say more

See it if you like the Kong story, gigantic puppet that can do almost anything, creative use of projections, excellent puppeteers, musicalized

Don't see it if you don't like puppets or King Kong, not fond of plots with musical numbers sandwiched in, expect memorable music and clever dances

Also While the musical portion is unimpressive, the use of the puppet Kong is dazzling and show-stopping, especially once Kong ambles over the edge of the stage and challenges the audience. The build up to the Kong reveal is genuinely suspenseful and dark, and I imagine could be quite frightening for some theatergoers.... Read more Read less

See it if to discover a new writer & company, you like straight-forward plays & plots with folk marooned in a single location as secrets get revealed

Don't see it if not a fan of scenarios with characters forced to shelter together or melodrama, expect more elaborate stage effects to convey disaster